Report: Andre Smith officially back with agent Alvin Keels

by Josh Kirkendall on May 28, 2009 12:18 AM EDT in Contracts

Andre Smith has formally filed the paperwork to reacquire agent Alvin Keels, writes the Enquirer's Joe Reedy. The concern remains.

Keels was Smith's agent during his terrible Combine. Quickly fired before the NFL Draft, Smith hired another agent to help improve his draft stock. Rick Smith was reportedly favored by the Bengals. Whether or not Smith's agent was a determining factor for the Bengals, who knows. Anyway, Smith fired Smith and re-hired Keels. Got it? This is the point where "if there's smoke" actually becomes fire. Blah, blah, blah. You guys know the chronological stories by heart now.

We've wondered it before. Does it matter who Smith's agent is? No -- at least not right now. Will Smith holdout? It wouldn't be uncommon for top-ten picks to hold-out, so Smith wouldn't be in any exclusive club. Remember, last year Keith Rivers, a standup guy that holds no flags for character issues (as some half-baked idealists harp that character issues will be Smith's primary reason for holding out), missed 10 days and 12 practices during his hold out last year before the two sides came to an agreement.

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My Jedi instincts tell me ...

… Smith is trouble. In viewing his Bengals.com videos post draft, his comments seemed forced, phony … agent-prepped … masking a reak jerk, possibly? Gawd, I hope I’m wrong, but I expect a lenghy holdout from Camp Andre, and then a string of events that have Bengals fans checking Ancestry.com for Andre’s family link to the Ocho Family.

Hmmm, will it be Andre “Ocho Buffet-O” Smith?

by Timzilla on May 28, 2009 6:22 AM EDT reply actions

let's not get down on him yet

who was the last guy that didnt hold out on us that was a top ten pick? i believe it was carson and we signed him before we picked him……..

the good news is anthony collins can play right guard if we need him

by nadfflictar on May 28, 2009 9:37 AM EDT reply actions

you mean right tackle

If you don't live like you wanna, you live like you shouldn't

by trotanoy on May 28, 2009 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Unlike Oucho

Andre has been to every session. Voluntary or not, the guy seems like he wants to play here and learn and do well. If the other 1st rounders around him sign and we have some numbers to work with, it won’t be as bad as last year with Rivers. I recall it was more to do with the other picks before him and after him not giving his agent and the Bengals much negociating power because last year was the wait and see year.

But yes, I agree with Timzilla that we need to be on guard for a hold out.

by UpStateMike on May 28, 2009 10:23 AM EDT reply actions

Smith

I think that Smith really wants to play football, and is not good off-the-field, by which I mean negotiating, dealing with the press and such. I think that once he is signed, which will be close to, if not past the start of, camp. The Bengals have always been willing to pay tackles, so money won’t be the problem, the problem with signing Smith will be Sanchez. The Bengals will not set the market, they will pay Smith after Heyward-Bey, Sanchez, Monroe, Jason Smith and Curry are signed.

by jim0ijk on May 28, 2009 11:22 AM EDT reply actions

Pardon me for making sense for a second here...

…but the deal for a top-5-pick franchise QB (Sanchez) really shouldn’t have much bearing, IMHO, on what Andre Smith’s deal will be, even though he was the pick right after Sanchez and for some reason it’s been established that there has to be some kind of monetary pecking order with regard to who makes what and who got picked where. Personally, I would wait to see what Jason Smith signs for, then make Andre’s deal a function of A.) Jason Smith’s deal; and B.) the average salary of starting OTs in the league with escalators for workouts and performance. I mean…between the Smiths at 2 and 6, you have two defenders and a franchise QB. C’mon…do we really think that Sanchez’s camp is waiting to see what Aaron Curry signs for before they work their deal? No.

Y’all are right…he does seem to really want to play football, so I don’t look for a protracted holdout, no matter who his agent is.

by TheWalrus1971 on May 28, 2009 2:50 PM EDT reply actions

I think thats what a GM would do

But not what Mike will do.

by jim0ijk on May 28, 2009 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions

I think that might even be what Brian Boitano would do!

…but not what Mike will do.

by TheWalrus1971 on May 28, 2009 5:37 PM EDT up reply actions

lol

by CincyMike56 on May 29, 2009 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions

So Keith Rivers didn’t want to play football? It’s rarely ever about that.

If Andre’s agent wants to make it about Sanchez’s contract he’s certainly going to. There is no rational, arbitrary figure that decides how this works. Agents and owners.

by bodacio on May 28, 2009 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Ben-gals....

can play it cool since we can let Collins play for us while Smith gets his groove on.

If you don't live like you wanna, you live like you shouldn't

by trotanoy on May 28, 2009 6:10 PM EDT reply actions

true

the more I think about the move of Whitworth to LT the more i think its just a negotiating tool for Andre. They know there is likley to be a holdout and we need him a lot less with Whitworth at LT allowing Collins to start at RT

by CincyMike56 on May 29, 2009 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions